Time for a Cultural Change? 3 Tips to Shake Up Your Company Culture
There’s an elephant in the room, and no one wants to address it. Your company is struggling, and “something” needs to change if you’re going to survive. The first step is always the hardest, and it’s best to start with defining what that “something” is. Most importantly, don’t overlook what’s frequently obvious to your staff, it just might be time to change the company’s culture. But don’t throw the “baby out with the bath water”, every organization has great cultural aspects, conversely almost all companies have aspects that either need improvement or thrown out all together. It’s a tough task, but the pay-off is usually priceless for both the team and the overall financial welfare of the company!
So where do you start to effectively and efficiently implement change? A 2012 Harvard Business Review article suggests you should focus “on the positive aspects of culture, turning them to your advantage and offset some of the negative aspects as you go. This approach makes change far easier to implement.” We’ve compiled 3tips for creating sustainable change that may help alleviate the headaches involved during the change process:
- Focus on your individual employee’s first
You must get their buy-in for successful implementation. After all, if your workers don’t change, the company itself can never change. Start with the most influential employee’s, and get them committed to the change. Upon seeing compliance by these influential employees, those employees resisting the change will decide to assimilate into the new work environment, or risk termination.
- Think about changing your structures and processes
Not all decisions should be made from top management. When daily operations are scrutinized by the big brass, your employees may begin operating in a defensive manner, creating rifts within the organization. Delegate more power and authority to those at ground level. This creates a culture of decision-making autonomy, allowing your workers to feel more empowered, which will create acceptance to the changes.
- Finally, hire and fire to meet your cultural fit
The quickest way to successfully change your company culture is to rid yourself of all poisonous personnel. Take your time deciding, and look for those employees who are unwilling to change, unwilling to accept responsibility for past mistakes, or are just plain lazy. Now you can seek out better candidates that align with your new corporate values.
If you’re changing your company’s culture, and want to find that perfect employee that will fit in with the new direction you are going, talk to one of our IT consultants at CultureFit. CultureFit is a full service Technology Staffing and recruitment firm for corporate cultures that value organizational fit, employee satisfaction, and an extremely high level of technical IT skills.
